Light controlling means



April 17, 1951 H. J. BRUBAKER LIGHT coNTRoLLNG MEANS 2 sheets-sheet 1Filed Nov. l5, 1945 IN VEN TOR.

April 17, 1951 H. .1. BRUBAKER LIGHT CONTROLLING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Nov. 15, 1945 W Mw m m a i M E W m W K Patented Apr. 17, 1951UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,549,167 LIGHT CONTROLLING MEANS Henry J.Brubaker', Joliet, T11. Application November 15, 1945, Serial No.628,837

y (cli zo-sol v 1 Claim. l 1 This invention relates to light controllingmeansA for luse in window frames, door frames,

and wherever it might be desired to produce an effect simulating thatproduced by Venetian blinds.

It is an object of the invention to produce a device made up of separaterelatively movable panels disposed in lapped relation, each panel Abeing formed of successively arranged strip-like areas of transparentand translucent or opaque material whereby, by shifting one of thepanels in one direction relative to the other panel, the transparentportions thereof can be brought into position where they lap and areshut off by the translucent or opajue portion, thereby to entirely orpartly exclude light rays from passage through the structure.

It is a further object also to so mountthese panels that when they aremoved to another position, the transparent portions of the two panelswill coincide so that the result will be the formation of spacedtranslucent or opaque areas between which are located transparent areas.

Another object is to provide a structure of this character with whichordinary Venetian blinds can be combined if so desired."

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes Amay bemade in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as claimed. l

In the accompanying drawing, the preferred forms of the invention havebeen shown.

In said drawing, i

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a structure embodying the presentinvention, a portion being vbroken away.

Figure 2 is a section on line 22, Figure l.

Figure 3 is another View similar to Figure l, showing the relativepositions of the panels when shifted to exclude or reduce the iiow oflight rays through the structure. l

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on line --IL Figure 3. f

. Figure 5 is a vertical section through a modified construction whichincludes k a Venetian blind.

Figure 6 is a front elevation of a portion of the structure shown inFigure 5.

Figure 7 is a section through two relatively ldesired points.

like portions.

movable thicknesses of sheet material which could be used in lieu of thearrangement shown in Figures 1-4'inclusive, these being positionedrelative to each other in such a manner as to prevent visiontherethrough.

Figure 8 is a similar view showing the sheets positioned to permitvision through them.

It is to be understood, of course, that the present improvements havemany applications. They can be used to simulate Venetian blinds inwindow openings, door openings, and at other In the drawings, there hasbeen shown a window frame l having the usual panelreceiving opening. andcontinuous groove for mounting a panel within the opening, and xedlymounted in this frame is a panel 2 formed of glass, plastic, or anyother material through which light rays can flow freely. Portions ofthis panel, however, are etched, colored, or otherwise formed so as toexclude or break the light rays, these light excluding or retardingportions being in the. form of strips 3 Aextending across the panel andspaced apart distances equal or substantially equal to the width ofthese strip- The remaining portions of the panel which are locatedbetween the portions 3 retain the characteristic of permitting the flowof light rays therethrough and also simulate strips-4 extending alonglines parallel with the strip-like portions'3. The strip-like portions 3can completely or only partially obstruct the passage of light raystherethrough while the remaining strip-like portions 4 can betransparent or translucent. It is merely essential that the strip-likeportions 3 differ from the striplike portions 4 either in color,configuration, or otherwise so that light rays flowing through theportions 4 will differ from those, if any, permitted to flow through theportions 3.

A second panel 5, preferably though not necessarily like the panel 2, ismounted in the same groove of frame I and this panel, in the structureillustrated, not only 'bears against the panel 2v but is also slidabletherealong on linesperpendicular to the length of the portions 3 and 4.Thus when panel 5 is in one extreme position, the light excluding orretarding portions l 6 thereof will be located upon the correspondingportions 3 of panel 2 while the clear or translucent portions of the twopanels will be supported one upon the other. Thus a slat effect such asproduced by Venetian blinds, will be secured inasmuch as light rays canow freely through the lapping clear or translucent portions while thelight rays will be greatly retarded or cut off altogether by theremaining portions 3 and 6. By shifting the movable panel 5 away fromthe position shown in Figure 2, the dark portions of the two panels canbe caused to overlie the clear or translucent portions either entirelyor partially, thereby controlling the flow of light rays through theselatter portions 4 and 1. These relative positions of the parts have beenindicated at Figures 3 and 4 wherein the ilow of light rays has beeninterrupted by the location of the opaque or dark portions back of theclear or translucent portions. It is to be noted that these results areobtained without variance from conventional frame construction otherthan to make the panel-receiving groove of the window frame suicientlywide transversely to receive the two panels, the panels each comprisinga stop limiting front-to-back deviation of the other.

To secure a desired contrast between the portions 3 and 4 and theportions 6 and 1 of the panels, some of these portions can be mottled,etched or colored while the remaining portions can be left untreated.Obviously, various modifications may be made and in any case it isdesigned that relative movement of the two panels will result in partialor entire cutting oi of light rays to a degree dependent at all timesupon the extent of the transparent or translucent areas exposed betweenthe dark or opaque areas of the opposed panel.

The panels can be shifted relative to each other by any suitable meansprovided for that purpose.

It has been found in practice that by equipping windows with relativelymovable panels made up of slot-like portions, a very satisfactoryVenetian blind effect is obtained.

While this invention as thus far described is designed for the purposeof dispensing with the use of Venetian blinds, it is to be understood,that, if desired, a, Venetian blind can be combined therewith as shown,for example, in Figures 5 and 6. In those gures, the window casing orframe has been indicated at 8 and the relatively xed and movable panels9 and I0 respectively are located in one side of the frame. These panelsare of the same construction as has already been described in connectionwith panels 2 and 5 so that by shifting panel I0 relative to panel 9 thepassage of light rays through the window can be controlled. A means foroperating the movable panel has been indicated in Figures 5 and 6 wherea knob II rotates a disk or crank I2 connected by a link I3 to the panell0. By rotating the knob, this panel can be moved upwardly or downwardlyrelative to the xed panel. In this modified structure, the other side ofthe window frame is closed by a panel I4 of ordinary transparent glassand the space I5 thus defined by the panels contains an ordinaryVenetian blind I6 suspended from the top of the frame 8 and adapted tolbe actuated by the usual control cords I'I. Thus the frame is equippednot only with means for controlling the flow of light as heretoforeexplained, but also with a Venetian blind by means of which bettercontrol of light is effected than should the panels only be employed. Inother words, all light can be shut out, all light can be admittedwithout vision, all or partial light can be admitted and all or partialvision through the window can be permitted.

For the purpose of preventing accumulation of moisture in the sealedspace I5, a cartridge of air drying material can be inserted in theframe at a point where it is in communication with the space I 5. In thedrawing this cartridge has been indicated at I8 and the passage throughwhich it communicates with space I5 has been indicated at I9.

In Figures 7 and 8 there has been shown a structure which can be used inlieu of the form illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. In this modiedstructure, two relatively movable sheets of glass or the like have beenindicated at 20 and 2|. Each of these sheets has a prismatic surface 22.The two sheets are duplicates and one is disposed oppositely to theother. Thus, when the sheets are located as in Figure 7 so that theirprismatic surfaces are not complementary to each other, the visionthrough the sheets is interrupted. However, by bringing the two sheetsinto positions where their prismatic surfaces are complementary, as inFigure 8, it is possible to see clearly through the sheets.

What is claimed is:

The combination, with a window frame having a rectangularpanel-receiving opening, there being a single continuous groove formedin the inner surface of the frame and in communication with saidopening, of xed and movable panels mounted in said groove, the xed panelhaving all its edges supported within the groove for restraint againstup-and-down and side-to-side movement, the movable panel being formedshorter in length than the fixed panel for upand-down sliding within thegroove, said panels bearing against each other and being tted snuglyinto the groove and each comprising a stop against front-to-backmovement of the other, each panel having spaced parallel light-rayretarding areas and interposed areas affording less obstruction to thepassage of light rays, all of the areas being of Slat-like proportions,said areas respectively extending in depth through the full thicknessesof the respective panels and being of identical width, the movable panelbeing adjustable upwardly and downwardly a distance equal to the widthof one of said areas.

HENRY J. BRUBAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 14,798 Bru May 6, 1856 792,759Crossrnann June 20, '1905 947,490 Gwozdz Jan. 25, 1910 957,120 SpiegelMay 3, 1910 1,639,474 Whitmore Aug. 16, 1927 1,886,445 Delano Nov'. 8,1932 1,937,342 Higbie Nov. 28, 1933 2,009,167 Delano July 23, 19352,205,523 Galey June 25, 1940 2,327,918 Miller Aug. 24,1943 2,382,566Heckman Aug. 14, 1945

